Ryoushi no Yoru II
by Yume no Kokoro
Summary: NEW: Chapter 7 After the war, everyone seems to be at peace. However, when a new enemy approaches, the residents of castle Ryoushi no Yoru are forced to raise their swords again! PLEASE R&R! Mainly UxC, some HxL FxF DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

Yay! ^^ Here it is! Ryoushi no Yoru II!!! Enjoy everyone~!

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Note: If you have not read Ryoushi no Yoru, I suggest you read it FIRST. Otherwise, this story might not make much sense.

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit story. All rights to Magic Knight Rayearth belong to CLAMP. ^^

~*~*~*~*~

The castle _Ryoushi no Yoru_ looked eerie and perilous against the blackened sky. Lightning clapped overhead and thunder roared proudly in response. The sleek gray stones that built the castle walls were illuminated by each bolt of light. The ominous, dark clouds overhead, filled with water, threatened rain, though they did not release water, as though they enjoyed the apprehension it created. The wind whistled through the trees and leaves flew from the branches, swirling and tumbling with each gust of wind.

All the while, a woman crouched atop a precipice, keenly watching the illuminated windows of the castle with piercing green eyes. Her long silver hair swirled around her, and her cold eyes and merciless expression easily illustrated her heartlessness. With each bolt of lightning, light shone on her face, illuminating her pale complexion. Her dark cape flew around her shoulders and her hair fell into her face. Her dark, worn dress billowed in the wind. Suddenly, she felt raindrops against her bare arms. She looked towards the sky as the rain began to pour down. With the density of the rain, the lightning ceased to lighten the sky brightly. Now, it was only a dull light that danced among the clouds. 

The woman reached to her leather belt, and grasped the scabbard dangling from the thick band. She gripped the handle of her dagger, and pulled it from its holder slowly. The blade was curved and long and its handle was a dark emerald green. She held the dagger in front of her and watched as the raindrops fell against it, causing the blade to shine brightly. She positioned the dagger at her face and opened her mouth. She slowly licked the dagger's blade, consuming the drops of water that had built up on the sword, only to have the blade become slick with water once again. Her blood red lips curled into a malicious grin and in the darkness, her emerald eyes seemed to glow.

Placing the dagger back in its scabbard, she stood from her kneeling position and stared at the castle coldly. Her eyes narrowed at her turned her gaze from one window to the next. 

"Soon..." she whispered. Her voice was icy and venomous. "Soon, I shall have my revenge!"

Then, as another bolt of lightning clashed against the sky, she turned and walked away from the cliff. As the rain poured harder, she disappeared.

~*~*~*~*~

Umi and Clef sat in the study of the castle. Umi sat staring, captivated, at the heavy downpour of rain. Clef sat in a worn, leather armchair, reading a book he had become enthralled in, contentedly.

"It sure is raining hard out there, isn't it?" Umi called to Clef.

"Mm-hm..." Clef murmured, without looking up from the pages of his book.

"I don't think I've seen it rain so hard since—" Umi cut off and her eyes grew soft. "Since..."

Clef looked up from his book when he heard her suddenly stop. "Umi..." Clef rose from the chair and placed the book to the side before approaching her. He sat down beside her and embraced her tightly, and Umi's eyes grew watery as her memories all came rushing back to her quickly.

**__**

Flashback

"Ascot!" Umi cried again. "Why? Why did you save me?"

"Because..." Ascot whispered. "I... love you."

Suddenly, Ascot shuddered once, and his body grew limp.

"Ascot..." Umi whispered. "I'm sorry..."

****

End Flashback

Clef held her tightly and remained silent as she nestled up against him. Suddenly, Umi lifted herself from his arms and wiped her eyes with her wrists.

"I'm sorry," she laughed half-heartedly. "What's done is done, right?"

Clef's face remained sympathetic and he stayed silent. 

Umi smiled softly and reached towards Clef. She gently fingered the silver medallion that hung from his neck upon a silver chain. The head of a wolf was crafted onto its surface. The intricate details were phenomenal: it was as if each strand of hair upon the wolf's mane was individually crafted in. The eyes of the wolf were made of bright amethysts, and the gems glittered brightly in the light.

Umi smiled gently once again. Presea had created a silver wolf medallion for each Clef, Ferio, and Lantis. Each medallion was nearly identical, except for one thing: the eyes were different colors. Ferio's wolf had eyes made of yellow diamonds, and Lantis's were made of deep garnets.

"Is there nothing I can do to lift this guilt from your heart?" Clef asked gently.

Umi sighed. "Can you bring the dead back to life?" she asked flatly.

Clef's gaze averted downward. Umi suddenly felt as if she had offended him.

"I'm sorry!" she blurted out quickly. "I didn't mean—!"

"No," Clef shook his head. "I cannot bring the dead back to life."

Umi paused and began to fidget nervously with the hem of her skirt. Clef looked past her into the rain, and suddenly gasped when he saw a pair of green eyes staring straight at him from in the bushes. He stood abruptly, knocking over the chair on which he had been sitting. His azure eyes grew wide, and Umi withdrew her breath sharply in surprise as he bolted up. Clef scanned through the foliage outside and saw nothing, and he sat back down slowly.

"God, Clef!" Umi gasped. "You scared me! What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." Clef whispered as he rested his head in his hands. "I-I must have been seeing things."

Umi stared at him for a moment before turning to look out the window herself. She carefully skimmed the trees and bushes, but only saw a few long, wet, shining sliver hairs, entangled in the leaves of the bushes.

~*~*~*~*~

The silver-haired woman ran swiftly away from the castle. Once she was a distance away, she dropped to her knees, panting. Her breath was a puff of fog in the cold night air.

"Damn!" she cursed bitterly. "That damn mage nearly saw me!"

The woman clenched her teeth tightly and stood. She stared at the castle resentfully, her piercing emerald eyes narrowed coldly.

__

That ex-demon slayer was with him... she thought. She shivered slightly and turned, retreating once again. Thunder roared overhead, and she disappeared once again in a cloud of mist. 

~*~*~*~*~

Wai~! Chapter 1 done!!! Heh... it's a little short, but it's only a prologue, right? ^^ I'm so happy to be working on this sequel! I hope everyone who liked "Ryoushi no Yoru" enjoyed this chapter! ^^ As for now, **PLEASE REVIEW!!** Reviews are VERY much appreciated!


	2. Nightmare

Disclaimer: I don't own Rayearth, nor shall I ever.

All right! ^^ Chapter 2!! If it's a little short, I'm really sorry! And sorry it took so long to get it up... writer's block and tons of school work do NOT mix... Well, here it is! Enjoy, minna!

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the castle, Umi tossed and turned fitfully in bed. Her body became entangled in the bed sheets and beads of perspiration gathered on her forehead. Her breathing became heavy and her eyes were shut tight. Her cheeks were wet with tears and a barely audible whisper escaped her lips, over and over.

"No...! No...!"

~*~*~*~*~

She was surrounded by darkness, right and left. A eerie, bone-chilling breeze blew past her, and she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. Her blue hair fell into her face as she turned her head downward, shivering in the cold. Suddenly, a sinister laughter rang through the darkness.

Umi's head bolted upward. "W-who are you?"

There was no answer except another shrill laugh from the voice. Suddenly, Umi heard a sound from behind her—a sound almost like something... _materializing._

She spun around quickly, her blue hair flying in all directions. She gasped sharply and clasped her hands over her mouth at what—or rather _whom—_she came face to face with.

"_Ascot!_" she gasped.

Ascot stood in front of her with his head turned downward, a shadow and his long bangs hiding his eyes. There was a deep wound on his chest, where the sword had maimed him, and blood seeped onto his robes. There were blood stains all over his clothes and hands as well as his face.

Umi was disgusted at the sight, and she trembled furiously, her blue eyes wide. As Ascot's head lifted towards her, the shrill laughter began again, and he stared at her with blank green eyes. A woman with merciless emerald eyes appeared and wrapped her arms around Ascot as she hovered in midair, her silver hair flowing around her. She stroked Ascot's cheek as her laughter increased. Umi screamed sharply, clamping her hands over her ears and closing her eyes tightly. She dropped to her knees, tears beginning to penetrate her lashes and flow down her cheeks.

Suddenly, Ascot's form disappeared, and the laughter ceased. Umi removed her hands from her ears and opened her eyes. She trembled furiously as she once again became enclosed in pure darkness. Then, Clef's form appeared in front of her, a few yards from where she crouched. His body was sprawled on the ground and deep wounds covered his arms and side. His eyes were open and blank, and his blood began to cover the ground. 

Umi screamed loudly and tears began to stream down her face.

"No!!" she screamed. She wanted to run to him. She wanted to cradle his body in her arms. She wanted to get him to move. But her body would not move. Suddenly, she felt something wet on her hands. Her lifted her hands and stared down at them. She gasped in horror to find his blood covering her hands.

Umi thought she was going to be sick. More tears poured down her face. A few tears fell and mixed with the blood on her hands.

Suddenly, the blood disappeared, along with Clef's body. The cruel laughter began again, and Umi screamed. She closed her eyes once again and covered her ears. She curled her body into a ball and sobbed loudly, screaming as the laughter grew louder and louder.

"NO!!"

~*~*~*~*~

"Umi! Umi!" Clef cried. He pounded on the door to her bedroom, and Umi awoke abruptly. Her tearstained cheeks reflected the little light in the room, and she didn't bother to wipe her tears as she screamed his name.

"Clef!" she cried.

Clef pounded the door open and ran to her bedside. His bare feet made pattering noises against the cold stone floor. The dark blue pants he had worn to bed looked nearly black in the dim room. As he rushed towards Umi, she dove into his arms and buried her face in his bare chest, sobbing.

Clef, utterly bewildered, held her tightly as she sobbed, stroking her hair gently and whispering comforting words as he shushed her.

"Oh, God, Umi," he whispered. "I heard you screaming and I mind created such horrible situations. I'm so glad you're alright!"

Umi's shoulders shook as her cried, and Clef laid a kiss on the top of her head. 

"Oh, Clef!" Umi sobbed as she lifted herself from his arms. "It was terrible! T-that laughter! A-and you... and A-Ascot! And—!"

"Shh... slow down!" Clef whispered soothingly. "Calm down... you're alright."

Umi bit her lips and nodded as she tried to stop her tears. "There was this woman... and s-she just kept l-laughing... and then Ascot appeared... and then you... and you... y-you were _dead_... and I-I—!"

Umi broke down in tears again and Clef held her tightly.

"Shh... I'm here now..." he whispered. "I'm not dead... I'm right here..."

Umi sniffled. "Clef... that other night... in the study... what did you see?"

Clef hesitated. "I saw... eyes... piercing emerald eyes."

Umi paused. "Clef... after you scared me, I saw strands of silver hair caught in the bushes. The woman from my dream... is _her_."

~*~*~*~*~

The woman's emerald eyes shot open, and her shoulder heaved up and down in fatigue.

"Mistress Shimizu?" a voice asked.

Shimizu's silver hair fell into her eyes as her stared at the owner of the voice. It was a thin man with dark brown hair and tanned skin. A thin scar ran from between his eyes to past his right eye and down his cheek. His black eyes were cold and heartless.

"It has been done," Shimizu said coldly.

"You completely inhabited the dreams of that demon slayer?" the man rejoiced.

"Of course I did, foolish Ozumo," Shimizu spat. Ozumo froze.

"I want you to do something for me..." Shimizu began.

"Anything, Mistress," Ozumo replied.

"Go to the castle and... _do_ something to that demon slayer," Shimizu said. "Mess with her mind a little. The mage, too, if possible."

Ozumo grinned to reveal sharp teeth. "Of course, Mistress."

Shimizu grinned and watched as Ozumo transformed from his own form to the form of Ascot. Ozumo was a shape-shifter. He did not lose his powers after the completion of the prophecy, for shape-shifters were not demons as all... they were merely _beasts_.

"Good," Shimizu grinned. "I expect that you will do the job quite nicely."

Ozumo smile. "Of course." And with that, he disappeared.

~*~*~*~*~

Wai~! This chapter was a little... dark. But there it is! Hope you liked it! I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up... I have plenty of ideas for it, but I don't know when I'll have a chance to write it...

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Response to reviews:

Sab- Clef Lover, hyper*italian*gurl*, and Aranami-koi: Wai~! ^_^ So much love! *gets crushed* I'm so glad you liked "Ryoushi no Yoru" so much! Thanks, guys!!

a n g e l . w 1 n g: Hehe... I write fast? LOL I never really realized that... It always seems to me like I'm taking forever...

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shazzam: I'm glad I got the sequel out at a good time! Hope you like chappie 2!!

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Momentum, inu87yasha: Thanks so much for the support! Hope you like Chapter 2!

OK, I think that's it.... **REVIEW EVERYONE!!!** Reviews are VERY much appreciated! ^^


	3. An Ally Revived?

Disclaimer: I don't own Rayearth.

Yay! Chapter 3 is FINALLY up! OK, just to make it clear, this fic is probably gonna focus more on Umi and Clef. The rest of the cast DOES make their appearance in this chapter, however. (Sorry for not putting them in before... they just wouldn't have that much to do...) But don't worry! There will still be F/F and H/L fluff somewhere in this fic eventually! ^_^ Also, it may seem as it the story is moving rather quickly. Don't worry about that, either! There's plenty more that will happen! Anyways, enjoy the chapter! 

~*~*~*~*~

At breakfast at the castle, the following morning, both Clef and Umi were late. The other residents of the castle had decided to begin without them, and they ate heartily.

"Did you hear Umi scream last night?" Hikaru asked her friends softy, almost hesitantly.

All of those surrounding her lifted their heads.

"I heard her," Presea said as she leaned closer to Eagle, who was sitting to her left. 

"Scared me half to death!"

"I heard someone running down to her room..." Fuu began.

"Must've been Clef," Ferio shrugged. "He was banging on her door. That's what woke 

me up..."

Hikaru tilted her head downward. "I hope she's alright."

"I'm sure she's fine..." Lantis said as he placed his hand on her shoulder gently. 

Hikaru looked up and stared into Lantis's deep violet eyes before she gave a small 

smile.

"Yeah," she smiled gently.

Suddenly, the door to the dining room opened. The occupants of the room jumped 

slightly and their eyes all turned to the door. Then, Clef and Umi stepped inside the 

room.

"There you guys are!" Ferio grinned. He got up from his chair and greeted them 

kindly.

"Good morning, Prince Ferio," Clef replied as he pulled a chair out for Umi. Umi sat 

down quietly without so much as a "Good morning" to her friends.

Both Umi and Clef looked exhausted. Umi's eyes were red from crying and Clef was 

pale from lack of sleep. Hikaru noticed their fatigue and stared at them worriedly. 

She noticed Ferio looking at them with an unreadable expression as he sat back 

down after Clef had taken his seat.

A gloomy atmosphere hung over the group, and in an attempt to lighten the mood, 

Ferio grinned broadly and his golden eyes narrowed slyly.

"Didn't get much sleep last night, eh, Clef?" Ferio grinned as he elbowed Clef—who 

was at his right-hand side—jokingly. His comment earned him a sharp kick in the 

shins from Fuu. Catching Ferio's hint, Clef turned a number of shades redder. Umi 

didn't seem to notice Ferio's remark, and Ferio was trying to stifle a yell after Fuu 

had kicked him.

"The issue of last night is _not _a joking matter," Clef hissed through clenched teeth, 

now quite embarrassed. He picked up his fork and jabbed it into a piece of ham 

aggressively.

Ferio's eyes reflected a quiet apology and Clef nodded in consent before turning back 

to Umi. She held her folk shakily, and it made soft clicking noises as it continuously 

tapped against the side of her plate. Clef's eyes grew soft and he placed his hand 

gently over hers. The rattling ceased and Umi turned her head, staring into Clef's 

azure eyes. She drew a quivering breath and muttered, "Sorry."

Clef smiled gently and her turned back to her plate.

"Umi?" Hikaru asked. "Are you okay?"

Umi nodded shakily.

"She had a rather unsettling nightmare last night," Clef stated plainly. He stared at 

Umi's sad face. "Perhaps... it would be best to explain it to you all."

Umi's sapphire eyes widened and she bit her lip. Clef leaned close to her and 

whispered softly in her ear, "Tell them."

It took Umi a long time to get through the dream, her breath coming in quivering 

sobs. Everyone seemed to be in more disbelief than alarm once she had completed 

her story. It wasn't until after Clef explained the connection between the dream and 

what he had seen the other night that they understood.

"So now we have a new opponent to face..." Ferio mumbled.

"So it seems," Clef replied. "But I suppose nothing is for certain, yet. After all, it 

might just be a mere coincidence or—"

Clef's words were cut short when the sense of a presence shot through his mind. He 

stopped in mid-sentence and clapped his palm to his forehead.

"Clef?" Umi asked.

"There's someone at the front gate..." Clef whispered before he stood and walked 

swiftly towards the door, his black robes trailing behind him. Everyone sitting at the 

table exchanged questioning glances, their faces lined with confusion.

Umi was the first to rise and she bolted after Clef just seconds after he had walked 

out the door. It took the others a few seconds to register that she had left, and they 

quickly rose and swiftly followed.

They all strode down the dim hallways, catching a glimpse of Clef's black robes as he 

turned a corner. Umi lead, quickly gaining on Clef. Clef's shoes echoed in the empty 

hallways, and the noise of many more footsteps followed shortly after. The group 

soon caught up, and Hikaru was first to speak.

"Clef? Where are we going."

"Gates," Clef replied shortly. He didn't feel he needed to elaborate.

As they walked quickly down the dark corridor, their pace hastened, and they walked 

faster down the torch-lit passageway. Finally, they reached the front gates. The iron 

gates towered above them. The granite walls on either side of the gates were 

adorned with large statues of fierce-looking wolves near the top of the walls.

Clef signaled to the gates keepers above them, and the gate was slowly lifted 

upward.

There, a figure stood, head turned downward. Their green robes were ripped at the 

edges, and brown hair fell into the figure's eyes. Umi gasped as the person staggered 

forward and fell into Clef's arms. Clef turned the figure gently, and Umi screamed.

"Ascot?!"

~*~*~*~*~

Umi sat by Ascot's bedside and brushed a strand of auburn hair away from his face. 

(A/N: OK, guys... remember Chapter 2? Please remember that Ozumo has taken the 

form of Ascot. Therefore, whether I say Ascot or Ozumo, they are the SAME person.) 

She pulled down the collar of Ascot's robes slightly to the edge of a half-healed 

wound, in the exact location of where he had been maimed by the sword. She 

sighed, remembering the last time something like this had happened. Ascot's strange 

appearance was similar to Akudoi's appearance all that time ago. It all seemed so... 

strange.

Umi sighed heavily again. It was impossible! She had watched Ascot die. He had died 

in her arms...

Suddenly, Ascot's body stirred. Umi gasped as emerald eyes slowly opened. So he 

was really alive!

~*~*~*~*~

Ozumo opened his eyes to see the blue-haired ex-demon slayer standing over him. 

Inwardly, he grinned. The sleeping potion he had created had obviously worked perfectly. He groaned for effect—his body felt stiff from the potion, anyway.

"Ascot...? It's me... Umi. Do you remember me?"

So her name was Umi.

"Umi..." Ozumo whispered. He felt like an idiot, but he had orders to carry out.

Tears welled up in Umi's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Ascot." she paused. "How did you... survive?"

Ozumo sat up slowly. He had prepared an explanation perfectly.

"After everything went black, I saw a flash of light, and I woke up on the other side of the cliffs. I can't remember anything before that."

Umi bit her lip, and suddenly, the door to the room opened. Clef, Ferio, and Lantis 

stepped inside quietly, and Umi turned around to meet their gaze. Clef's face was 

stern, but his gaze softened when his eyes settled on his former pupil.

"So you really are among us once again, Ascot," Clef smiled.

Ozumo smiled and nodded.

"Good to have you back, buddy," Ferio said as he patted his friend on the back.

"Do you have any injuries?" Lantis asked.

"No," Ozumo shook his head. "Only the healing scar on my chest."

Clef nodded. "Then would you like to resume your training?"

"Of course," Ozumo nodded. The training could come in handy.

Clef nodded, and the three men left quietly.

~*~*~*~*~

"All right," Clef began. "Perhaps we should go over the fire spell once again..."

Ozumo grinned. Fire spells were child's play. He waved his hand, and a flame 

instantly appeared, hovering inches above his hand.

Clef's jaw nearly dropped. Ascot had never been able to perform the fire spell with 

such ease before his death. Something was definitely suspicious...

"Very good," Clef commented, trying to smile. "Let's try something a little more 

advanced. "The lightning spell."

Again, Ozumo performed the spell at a level that was far higher than Ascot's. And 

again, Clef grew suspicious. He decided to do a small experiment...

"Excellent. Try the—" Clef was about to suggest the summoning spell, but that had 

been Ascot's greatest strength. "The vanishing spell."

Now here's something more challenging, Ozumo thought. "Of course, Master Clef."

Ozumo performed in with ease, once again, and Clef's eyes narrowed. "That's enough 

for today."

Ozumo nodded, and the mage left.

~*~*~*~*~

While Ferio was walking back to his room, Clef passed him, looking quite unsettled.

"What's wrong?" Ferio asked, placing a hand on Clef's shoulder. 

"There's something not right about him," Clef said icily. "Not right at all."

~*~*~*~*~

As Ozumo stepped into his room, he let out a relieved breath. At least the his first day was over. He pulled at the collar of Ascot's robes. God, it was uncomfortable! He reverted back to his original form, glad to be his normal, onyx-eyed self, dressed in brown rags. He walked over to a mirror on the back all, and looked into it deeply. He placed his hand to his mouth and muttered a spell under his breath. The surface of the mirror rippled, and Shimizu's face appeared in the mirror.

"How did it go?" Shimizu asked.

"Fine," Ozumo replied. "I'm planning on taking action tomorrow night."

Shimizu smiled coldly. "Perfect."

Ozumo returned the grin and Shimizu's face disappeared.

"Tomorrow night..." he whispered. "Then you both shall suffer what you deserve."

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Shimizu sat by herself, staring at a worn photograph. In the photo was the image of a silver-haired teenage girl and a brown-haired, beaming boy. The boy's emerald eyes sparkled, offsetting the girl's scowl.

"I shall avenge your death..." Shimizu whispered. "Little brother."

~*~*~*~*~

Well, there's Chapter 3! ^^ Sorry it took sooo long to get up... School is terrible. High school preparation is becoming a big deal, but I can't wait to get out of Junior High! (I thought eighth grade would be more fun... *sigh*) Oh, well. Well, I try to get the next chapter up soon! See you then! **PLEASE REVIEW!!**

By the way, if anyone is interested in checking out my fanart, (was is you, Aranami-koi, who said you wanted to see it? I know someone told me they wanted to see it in a review...) the URL for my website is on my profile. Check it out~! ^_^


	4. Illusions

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Rayearth... just the plot to this story.

Here's chappie 4!! ^^ I guess I don't really have much to say... well, on to the story!

Oh, but if anyone could be so kind as to check out my fanart at **home.comcast.net/~familydaniell/enter.html** I'd really appreciate it! ^^ OK, NOW on to the story!

~*~*~*~*~

Clef groggily pushed open the door to his study and stepped inside, quietly shutting the door behind him. A forlorn sigh escaped his lips, and his azure eyes fluttered closed for a moment—it had been a long day. He turned his head downward momentarily, his lavender hair brushing against his face. He opened his eyes again, and walked slowly over to his desk. He flopped down in a worn, brown, leather chair and leaned his head back against the chair. He glanced to a large book on his desk with a red ribbon sticking out from the pages of the book. He sat up and opened the book to where the ribbon lay and glanced at the text on the pages. Illusion spells. His eyes skimmed over the words in the book. He found illusion spells incredibly fascinating.

He continued to read, trying to digest the information, but his mind drifted elsewhere. As he continued to take in the words upon the pages, he recounted the events of that day . . . 

It had been a day since Ascot had showed up in front of the castle gates. Umi had fussed over him all day, desperately trying to relieve herself of the heavy guilt that hung in her heart. As every hour passed, Clef's suspicions grew. Ferio and Lantis had been watching Ascot shiftily all day as well, due to Clef's warnings. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu seemed quite ecstatic to have the summoner back, despite the close gaze the other men held on Ascot.

However, that afternoon, Clef had walked into the kitchen, hungry because he had skipped lunch. Ascot was in there, drifting around the cutlery. Clef had cleared his throat loudly for attention, and Ascot nearly jumped a foot in the air. Clef shot him a suspicious glance, and Ascot had darted away from Clef's cold gaze quickly. (However, Clef didn't know that Ascot had slipped a knife under his robes before he had dashed from the kitchen.)

Clef sighed again and pulled himself from his thoughts. He picked up the book after shutting in loudly. Then, he stood from his chair and began to walk slowly to his room, the book under his arm—he was interesting in doing some research on illusory spells.

. . . Little did he know that he would soon come closer to an illusory spell than he would have ever believed.

~*~*~*~*~

Ozumo walked down the moonlit corridors slowly. It had definitely been a good day. He had been completely pampered by that blue-haired demon slayer. He grinned maliciously—she didn't have a clue. But that mage . . .

Ozumo frowned. The mage was definitely on to him, but no matter. By the end of the night, he would be taken care of.

Ozumo's spirits lifted again and he brushed Ascot's thick brown bangs out of his eyes. He could barely see anything behind those blasted bangs. If he could only... Ozumo sighed and shook his head, his mind was drifted off his target again. He couldn't wait to get to Umi... he had such things planned for her...

He turned a corner and found the door to Umi's room. He smiled slightly and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Umi's voice came.

"A-Ascot," he said, fumbling with his host form's name.

"Ascot?" Umi opened the door, dressed only in a nightgown.

"May I come in?"

Umi blinked. "Of-of course," she stepped aside, and Ozumo stepped inside her room. Umi shut the door before going to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Umi..." Ozumo began, reciting the words in his mind. "I have something to confess to you."

"What?" Umi seemed confused.

Ozumo came closer to her crouched down to meet her at eyelevel. "I'm in love with you..."

Umi's eyes grew cold. "That's... what got you killed."

Ozumo flinched inwardly. He should have thought up another line. "But I..." he breathed. He came closer to Umi so his face was right beside hers. "I..."

Umi backed away, trying to get away from his uncomfortable closeness. She was sprawled on her back on the bed. "What?"

"Shh..." he whispered as gently as he could manage. He came towards her across the bed until he was practically on top of her. He grabbed her wrist tightly and her eyes widened in fright.

"Ascot!" she gasped, trying to pull away from his grip. "You're hurting me! What are you doing?!"

~*~*~*~*~

Clef stepped into his room quietly. The lights were incredibly dim, but he didn't really mind. Suddenly, a metallic shining on a table across the room caught his eye. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity and approached the object. He was surprised to see a large knife against the wood surface. 

"What the...?" Clef breathed and he picked up the knife.

Suddenly, he heard a voice. It was alien and eerie, a harsh whisper just floating in the air. _"She deceived you... she betrayed you..."_

Clef froze and spun around to find nothing. "Where are you?"

"_She never loved you..."_

Clef's eyes grew wide. "What are you talking about?! Show yourself!"

Suddenly, he cried out loudly. Clutching his forehead with one hand, he dropped to his knees. His fist slammed against the table, and the knife in his hand dug into the mahogany wood of the table. It felt like something was trying to penetrate his skull . . .

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Umi's room, Ozumo grinned fiercely as he looked down upon Umi. She tried desperately to pry her wrist away from his grip. Suddenly, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened in shock and she struggled to pull away. She finally did so, gasping for breath. Ascot's form was still in front of her, but his head was down-turned. 

Ozumo struggled to penetrate the mage's mental wall, and he hung his head as Umi screamed. He was so close . . .

"Who are you?!" Umi screamed.

Ozumo's eyes widened as he suddenly penetrated Clef's mind. He lifted his head to meet Umi's gaze and she screeched piercingly . . .

~*~*~*~*~

__

"She never loved you... you were only comfort after her true love died... you were only a distraction!..." the cold voice whispered. The voice echoed in Clef's mind.

"You speak lies...!" Clef gasped through clenched teeth. He clutched his head tightly, gritting his teeth through the pain that shot through his skull. "Your words are poison!"

__

"You're a fool!" the voice whispered fiercely. _"She used you!"_

"Shut up!" Clef yelled as he bent over, trying to fight against the force that was pressing against his mind. 

__

"She never loved you!!"

Suddenly, Clef cried out loudly and his eyes closed tightly as the force infiltrated his mind. He stopped struggling, and his body grew calm. 

__

"Kill her..." the voice whispered cruelly.

Clef's eyes slowly opened—his azure eyes were dark, empty pools of blue. "Yes..." He rose to his feet and pulled the knife from the table in had been imbedded in. His expression was completely blank. Slowly, he left his room . . . 

~*~*~*~*~

__

Umi screamed as Ozumo lifted his head. Ascot's eyes were no longer the bright, emerald green she knew—they were now mixed with a cold, onyx black. His eyes were a swirl of green and black, and Ozumo grinned madly as the black in his eyes overpowered the green.

"Ascot...?!" she gasped.

"Stupid girl..." Ozumo grinned insanely. "I'm not Ascot!"

Suddenly, Ascot's form shuddered, and his body slowly transformed back into Ozumo's form. The green of Ascot's robes seemed to melt into Ozumo's body, and scars magically formed all over his body. Ascot's brown hair darkened before it shortened drastically and forming a long, thin ponytail. It seemed like ages before the transformation stopped. 

"Nice to finally meet you face to face!" Ozumo whispered cruelly.

Umi screamed loudly and scrambled off the bed. Ozumo began laughing insanely as she ran, terrified, out of her bedroom.

She ran down the corridors, towards Clef's room. Suddenly, she saw Clef leaning against a wall a few yards away. He was staring at a dagger with what seemed like an aching desire.

"Clef!" she screamed as she ran towards him. She threw herself at him and clutched at his robes. "Ascot! He's... an imposter!"

Clef's head lifted towards her. Her eyes widened when she saw his blank eyes.

"Clef...?" she whispered as she backed away. He turned and raised the dagger, slowly coming towards her.

"Clef?" she breathed. "What... what are you doing?"

Clef didn't respond, but continued coming closer.

"Clef!" Umi screamed. She staggered backwards, but tripped and fell flat on her back. She struggled up on her elbows, cowering on the floor as he kept coming towards her. Suddenly, she heard cold laughter behind her. She turned her head to see Ozumo standing behind her, his eyes blazing.

"You have no idea how much joy it shall give me to watch two lovers kill each other!" Ozumo laughed.

"What did you do to him?!" Umi screamed, but she turned back to Clef before getting an answer. Clef was over her, dagger raised.

"Clef!" Umi sobbed, hot tears running down her cheeks. "Clef! It's me, Umi! Don't you recognize me?"

Again, Clef's cold eyes were her only response.

"Why are you doing this?" she screamed again. "Snap out of it! I love you, Clef!"

"Umi..." Clef whispered. He suddenly cried out and dropped to his knees, one hand pressed against his forehead. Suddenly, all his memories came rushing back to him at once. He remembered his love for Umi almost instantly and his eyes returned to their normal azure sheen. But, he still couldn't control his body! His arm raised up again, the dagger still in his fist.

"Clef...?" Umi whispered.

"I... won't... hurt her!" Clef yelled as he tried to fight against the mind control that had taken control of his body. He slowly pulled his arms back towards himself, teeth clenched through the strain. Suddenly, he cut the knife through his own arm. He cried out, but the self-inflicted injury had cut through the trance.

"What?!" Ozumo yelled angrily.

Umi ran to Clef's side as he clutched his arm and stood.

"I knew there was something not right about you...!" Clef growled.

Ozumo's eyes suddenly grew frightened. He spun around wildly as shouts came from down the hall—the other occupants of the castle had obviously heard all the commotion and run to help them.

Clef raised his staff threateningly. "You dared to deceive us!" Clef hissed as Lantis, and Hikaru came up from behind him, swords ready to kill the imposter. Fuu, Ferio, Presea, and Eagle appeared behind Ozumo, ready to fight as well.

"You dared to try to turn us against each other!" Clef continued. "You're finished!"

~*~*~*~*~

Yay! Chapter 4 is up! I'm trying to make this fic a little darker than the original. I hope it's working...

To all of you who... don't really like Shimizu much ^^;;... All I can really say is that I'm glad you can hate my villains so much! That's a good thing, right?

Anyways, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It means a lot to me! ^^ I promise to have Chapter 5 up by Halloween. As for now, **PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	5. Escape

Disclaimer: Isn't it obvious already...? I DON'T OWN MKR!! So don't sue!

Woohoo! I told you I'd have it up by Halloween, and I do! Yay! ^_^ Well, here it is. Enjoy! 

~*~*~*~*~

Ferio began the merciless battle when he lunged fiercely at Ozumo, brandishing his enormous sword. Ozumo struggled away from the sharp blade, and Ferio nearly lunged into a wall. Lantis was next, and he slashed his sword dangerously close to Ozumo's head. Ozumo darted away, and the blade cut numerous hairs from his ponytail.

"Umi, catch!" Hikaru yelled as she ran forward to join the fight. She tossed Umi her dragon-hilted sword, which she caught.

"Thanks!" she called back. She glanced to her side at Clef briefly. His eyes were cold—she could tell he wanted to torture Ozumo to the fiend's last breath. Clef clutched his shoulder tightly, which was bleeding profusely. Umi gently placed her hand in his.

"Let's go," she said softly.

Clef looked down at her and nodded. His mouth upturned slightly into a small smile. Then, they rushed to join their comrades.

Umi raced forward and caught Ozumo's arm with a single, swift stroke of her sword. He cried out sharply and staggered back, his arm now bleeding. Murder blazed in Umi's eyes and she eagerly fought on.

Behind her, Clef raised his staff high, summoning lightning into his hand and firing bolt by bolt at Ozumo, who desperately tried to dodge the lightning bolts as they rushed towards him. When they had Ozumo cornered against a wall, he finally fought back.

Ozumo picked up a nearby candlestick and held it in front of him threateningly.

Ferio couldn't help but raise a cocky eyebrow at the odd weapon. Ozumo grinned at all of their confused faces. Slowly, the candle began to morph into a long sword with a twisted, curved blade. Lantis's eyes grew wide as he stared at the blade and slowly, everyone turned to serious fighting stances.

"It's an illusion!" Umi gasped. "Don't fall for it!"

Ozumo grinned insanely at her words and lunged forward at a shocking speed, ramming in between Lantis and Ferio and ripping his way through the closure that cornered him. His sword sliced through the small opening.

Ferio and Lantis cried out and they were thrown back by the force of the blade. Ferio stood up slowly, clutching his gashed arm. Blood was running down his arm from the narrow cut in his upper arm.

"An illusion?!" Ferio winced. "Well, it sure as hell doesn't feel like one!"

Lantis grunted in agreement as he stood. "This is no illusion... this is real."

"Fools!" Ozumo hissed. "You're fools—all of you! Do you really think you can even match me?"

"Haven't we proved that we're better than you already?" Umi retorted. 

Ozumo glared at her before rushing towards her. His sword clashed with hers with a metallic _clack_. Umi tried her best to hold her ground, but she was pushed back by the force of his sword. Ozumo grinned menacingly and punched her hard in the stomach. As Umi fell to the ground, she bent over and her mouth filled with a metallic taste. As she heard Clef come rushing to her rescue, she spat blood onto the ground. Trying to catch her breath, she looked up to see Clef fighting back with Ozumo, using his staff as a sword. Slowly, he began pushing Ozumo back towards a window with his staff.

Ozumo jumped onto the window ledge, with no where to go. Clef glared coldly at the man and Ozumo's eyes grew large as Clef summoned his magic and pushed Ozumo back with a lightning bolt. With a loud cry, Ozumo fell, but he grabbed the window ledge to save himself. He looked down at the ten-story drop with wide eyes. Pieces of rock crumbled under his weight and fell to the rocky surface below.

Clef jumped on top of the window ledge and stepped firmly on Ozumo's hand. "May you rot in Hell, you worthless bastard!"

Then, Umi came up behind him and stepped onto the window ledge herself. Her foot replaced Clef's on top of Ozumo's hand. Ozumo winced under the pressure.

"Umi," Clef mumbled. "You do the honors..."

Umi's expression remained unchanged. "With pleasure."

Just as Umi was about to push Ozumo off the ledge, Clef saw Ozumo grin. It was then that he realized that their slimy foe had a plan. As Umi wedged Ozumo's hand off the ledge, Clef cried out suddenly and lunged forward, "Wait!"

But it was too late. Clef nearly lost his balance on the windowsill, and Ferio and Lantis ran up behind him, grabbing both his arms to save him from plummeting to his own death. However, Clef could only watch with wide azure eyes as Ozumo fell and shifted into a bird before flying away limply. The black bird's left wing was damaged and it hung slightly as he bird flew.

Umi's eyes glowed with rage. "Coward!" she screamed. She slipped off the windowsill angrily. "Coward!!"

"C'mon, Clef," Ferio said, pulling the mage's arm. Clef looked down at the prince before stepping down. 

"Damn it," Clef muttered before turning away from them. His eyes glowed with defeat.

"I'm sorry," Umi mumbled. "I shouldn't have let him go."

"No," Clef replied, turning towards her. "You are not the one at fault. That man is nothing but a coward. Next time, he will pay for what he did."

Umi nodded and Fuu came up behind her.

"Come on," Fuu said softly. "It's really late. We should all probably get to bed."

"Right," Umi muttered as she took Clef's arm. She smiled slightly. "Good night."

Everyone mumbled a solemn "good night" in reply, and Clef led Umi back to her room.

~*~*~*~*~

"Well, I'll see you in the morning," Clef said to Umi, outside her bedroom door.

"No!" Umi cried as she flung her arms around Clef's waist. "Don't leave! Too much has happened tonight... Please don't leave me!"

Clef's eyes softened and he pulled her back to look into her face. "I'll never leave you."

Umi smiled and grabbed Clef's hand, dragging him inside. She shut the door gently and embraced Clef tightly. Suddenly, she noticed the gash on Clef's arm. She touched the wound gingerly, and Clef flinched.

"It's alright," Clef said softly. "Really!"

Umi smiled softly and kissed his cheek before making her way over to her bed and climbing under the soft blue sheets. She watched as Clef walked over to a fluffy armchair in a corner and removed his headdress, setting on a table nearby. As he flopped into the chair with a tired sigh, lavender locks fell into his face.

Umi sat upright in her bed. "What are you doing?"

Clef raised an eyebrow. "Making myself comfortable in this chair. Good night."

Umi giggled and moved over to one side of the bed. She threw aside the covers on the opposite side and cocked her head to one side suggestively.

Clef laughed lightly and lifted himself from his seat. He laid down in the bed, next to Umi, and she nestled her head into a pillow before nestling her face against his chest. Burying his head in Umi's soft blue hair, Clef finally went to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

Ozumo materialized in front of Shimizu and dropped to the ground. Blood dripped down his arm and his breathing was heavy. 

"Mistress, I—!" he managed to sputter out.

"Fool!" Shimizu yelled. "There are no excuses!"

"But Shimizu-sama—!"

"Shut up!" Shimizu roared again, her emerald eyes flaring. "Not only did you not kill the demon slayer, but you failed to even slightly incapacitate the mage! You're lucky I'm not going to kill you now!"

"Just give me another chance!" Ozumo pleaded.

Shimizu glared at the cowering shape-shifter. "Fine, but you will not be able to enter the castle again..." Shimizu paused. "At least, with their knowledge..."

"Mistress...?" a small smile grew on Ozumo's face. "Of course, Mistress. Consider it done!"

And with that, Ozumo vanished.

Shimizu glared at the spot where the shape-shifter had been. "It better be done," she growled. "Or it's your throat!"

~*~*~*~*~

Yay! Chappie 5 is done! ^^ I don't know when I'll have Ch.6 up, I've got writer's block! T_T (I hate writer's block, don't you?) Well, here's some review responses:

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shazzam: Thanks for your comments! ^^ Hope you liked this chapter!

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Yun Fei, RuByMoOn17, a n g e l . w 1 n g , hyper*italian*gurl: Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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Sab - Clef Lover: Thank you so much for your support!

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hikaru_29: LOL You're exactly right!

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CrazyIceTenshi: Yes... creepy is my top goal for this fic... And I found it hard to imagine Clef's eyes like that, too...

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Schizotypal Cheesecake: Yay! Thanks for checking out my fan art! ^^

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inu87yasha: Yeah... writer's block sucks... Well, good luck with your writer's block!

Well, I think that's all of them... I hope everyone like the chapter! ^_^ **PLEASE REVIEW!!**

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!


	6. Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

*creeps in quietly* Erm... long time, no see, eh? ^^;; 

Readers: *stare*

*nervous laugh* I'm really sorry this chapter took so long. Writer's block was hell to get over. Anyways, I'm here now! Enjoy chapter 6! ^_^

~*~*~*~*~

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"Ascot!" A silver-haired girl in her late teens ran towards her younger brother. Her long hair trailed behind her and fox ears poked out from the silver tresses. "Mother said you were leaving! It... it isn't true... is it?"

The brown-haired fox demon bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Shimizu..."

"No!" The young woman yelled. "Ascot, you can't just leave!"

"But I must, Shimizu!" Ascot defended himself. "Master Mage Clef is the most powerful demon sorcerer in the world! I cannot just let an opportunity to be his apprentice pass me by!"

"Yes, you can!" Shimizu pleaded, her eyes filled with tears. "You're a great summoner! You don't need to be a sorcerer's apprentice to prove that!"

"Shimizu, I'm sorry, but I really want to do this," Ascot looked at his sister with sad eyes. "If you really care about me, you'll let me go..."

Tears cascaded down Shimizu's cheeks. "Ascot..."

__

Suddenly, a chestnut brown horse rode from the forest, a lavender-haired wolf demon on its back. A second horse trailed behind them. Ascot turned around and a smile appeared on his face.

"He's here," Ascot said happily as he turned back to his sister. Seeing her distress, he embraced her tightly, burying his face into her silver hair. "I promise I'll be back. I'll miss you."

Shimizu pushed him away gently. "Take care, little brother."

Ascot smiled and ran towards the mage, who was riding closer on his horse. As Ascot came up to Clef, Clef smiled warmly and shook Ascot's extended hand. Ascot mounted the second horse, and Shimizu dropped to her knees as she watched them. As they turned around, heading back into the forest, she sent an icy glare at the mage. To her, it was as if Clef had taken her younger brother away from her . . .

__

The rain poured down and the wind blew harshly while fiercely whistling. Shimizu hid behind bushes and watched as an army of humans fought against a full pack of wolf demons. Her eyes scanned for a glimpse of green robes. Suddenly, she saw her brother fighting bravely. Pride swelled within her as she watched the fox demon fight gallantly along side his fellow demons. However, her pride vanished and was replaced with terror when he suddenly called out to the blue-haired demon slayer as she screamed. Shimizu's eyes widened as Ascot flung himself in front of her attacker. Ascot screamed in agony as the sword struck him, and Shimizu's blood went cold. As she watched him die in the demon slayer's arms, she listened in terror as he confessed his love to the blue haired woman. Shimizu felt an immense hate towards the slayer, and she fled from the bush, running in the opposite direction, tears streaming down her cheeks . . .

Shimizu bolted awake, sweat pouring down the back of her neck. She sat upright in bed and her silver hair cascaded down and around her face. Her green eyes were wide and frightened, and her pupils had constricted to slits. Her breathing was ragged and heavy.

"That dream again..." she whispered, calming herself as she clutched the bed sheets tighter. "Damn it."

Shimizu turned her head and stared into the mirror that was hanging on the wall adjacent to her bed. Her own emerald eyes stared back at her. She slipped out of her bed and walked to the mirror. Standing in front of it, she lifted her hand and placed it to the glass. Her reflection followed, and Shimizu laid her palm flat on the glass. As she turned her head upward to stare into the mirrored image of her face, she clenched her teeth tightly and curled her lips, showing her white teeth. Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly tightened her flat palm into a balled fist.

Magic flowed from her fingertips and flooded the mirror. Shimizu watched angrily as a crack ran right through her reflection. She cried out in anger, and the mirror shattered into thousands of pieces. Shimmering glass flew around her, cutting into her clothes and arms. When the glass settled on the floor, she dropped to her knees, ignoring the pain shooting through her as the glass cut her legs and palms. She turned her palms upward and stared at her bloodied hands.

"They took him away from me..." she cried softly. Tears fell from her eyes and mixed with the blood that covered her hands and the floor. "Damn them both... that mage and that blue-haired wrench!" Shimizu wrapped her arms around herself, blood smearing her clothes. Her eyes blazed angrily. "I'll kill them both! I'll kill them!"

~*~*~*~*~

Umi awoke to see Clef's sleeping face beside her. She smiled gently and brushed his lavender bangs from his face. Clef murmured something incomprehensible in his sleep and rolled over. Umi giggled before poking his back. Clef turned back over and stared at Umi with azure eyes, a small smile playing at his lips. He yawned slightly.

"Hey," he murmured softly.

Umi smiled. "Hey."

Clef kissed Umi softly for a moment, then got out of bed, stretching and yawning. Suddenly, a small growling sound could be heard. Clef cursed his empty stomach.

Umi raised an eyebrow. "Hungry?"

Clef laughed. "I'm starving!"

Umi smiled and looked out the window. The sun shone past a few wispy clouds. "Any minute now they'll ring the bell for breakfast..."

Then, the sound of a bell rang though the blissful silence.

Clef laughed as he slipped his headdress back on his head. "Perfect timing!" He reached out his hand to Umi and she grasped it and was pulled from the bed. Hand in hand, they walked down to the dining room.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Ozumo flew through the air, circling the castle. He had taken on the form of a sparrow. He caught sight of a window, and he dove towards it. He perched on the windowsill of the dining room window, and smiled inwardly as Umi and Clef entered together.

Ozumo looked down at a capsule of poison he held in his talons, then back up at Clef and Umi. He had enough poison to get one of them—the mage would be better to get first, strategically. Then, he wouldn't be able to protect his precious demon slayer when the shape-shifter decided to strike. Now if he could only find a way to administer the poison . . .

Then, a maid carrying a silver tray walked in. As Clef and Umi sat down, the maid set cups of tea in front of them, as well as at the rest of the places at the table. Ozumo flew from the windowsill and into the air as the rest of the castle's occupants entered. As Clef rose to greet them, Ozumo released the capsule of poison from the grasp of his talons, and the capsule dropped into Clef's cup of tea. As Ozumo turned and flew back towards the windowsill, he glanced downward and inwardly grinned sinisterly as he saw the capsule dissolve in the tea. He landed back on the windowsill to make sure his plan came into full effect.

Clef sat down at the table and resorted to listening to the people around him talk. As Presea began to chatter about a something new she had forged, he nodded every once in a while to show he was listening, although he hadn't the slightest idea what she was talking about. 

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, but as soon as the liquid touched his tongue, a highly unpleasant taste filled is mouth.

"Shit!" Clef gasped as he began to cough. He pounded himself on his chest lightly, and reluctantly swallowed the substance. Behind him, Ozumo snickered. 

__

I see the poison took control of the tea perfectly, he thought. _It always has had a bad taste._

"Master Clef?" the maid asked worriedly. "Is your tea not acceptable?"

Clef looked up at her. Her face was filled with fear. "N-no," he stammered. "It's perfectly fine..." he searched his mind for some excuse for his behavior. "I just swallowed it the wrong way, that's all."

"Oh," the maid smiled hesitantly. "Alright."

Clef tried his best to smile, and he drank the rest of his tea in small sips, trying to be polite and ignore the taste.

And behind him, Ozumo flew away, proud of what he had done.

~*~*~*~*~

Later that morning, Clef leaned against a wall in his bedroom, breathing heavily, his eyes closed. The entire room was spinning, and his head felt light. Every noise seemed to echo in his mind. He felt sweat streaming down the back of his neck, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

"I knew there was something wrong with that tea," he murmured as his consciousness began to wane.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his bedroom door. All of a sudden, Clef felt someone's arms around him, and something gently touching his forehead. The last thing he heard was Umi scream his name . . .

And everything went black. 

~*~*~*~*~

Well, there's chapter 6! ^^ I promise I won't kill off any more characters in this story, so don't worry about Clef-chan! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and sorry again that this chapter took so long! 

Also, **please remember:** On my FF.Net profile, the progress of each chapter of every one of my stories is recorded. I try to update it frequently, so you can always go to my profile to see information on each chapter I'm working on: how much of it is done, when it will be uploaded, etc. Thank you!

I'll try to get Ch. 7 up as soon as I can! **PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	7. A Long Road to Recovery

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Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue. 

*cough* I know... gomen, gomen, gomen... I know I took WAY too long and this chapter is WAY too short, but I updated, right? ^^;; Sorry for taking so long, Gackt-sama is very distracting... _

On to Chapter 7!

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Clef's chest heaved up and down as he breathed raggedly. It had been a great number of hours since his collapse, and his condition had not improved. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, and Presea wiped the drops of perspiration away with a damp cloth. She knelt by Clef's bedside, Umi beside her. Umi held Clef's hand as he tossed restlessly in feverish sleep.

Suddenly, the door clicked open and Lantis rushed inside. He approached Clef's bed and placed a hand to the mage's forehead before pulling away when his hand came in contact with hot skin. He quickly checked Clef's pulse and sighed.

"It's poison," he muttered in disbelief.

"Poison?" Presea repeated. "But how did _poison _find its way into the castle?"

Lantis only shrugged, but turned when he heard the door open again—it was Eagle.

"Is he alright?" Eagle asked.

"He's been poisoned," Lantis replied, and his tone turned harsh. "I want the castle to be searched immediately. Surely there is a traitor in our midst—the culprit! I want him found... and killed." 

Eagle nodded firmly, and swiftly exited the room. Lantis turned back to Umi and Presea.

"Is there anything you can do for him?" Umi asked, motioning to Clef.

Lantis sighed. "I can purge the poison from his blood, but it is a long and strenuous process."

"As long as you can cure him..." Umi whispered. Lantis nodded.

For a moment, there was silence. Umi sniffled once and Presea laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Lantis stared at Clef solemnly, his dark eyes shining hesitantly. Finally, he let out a deep sigh a spoke in his deep, baritone voice, "I—" he paused. "—I don't think you should stay to watch."

Umi's eyes widened, and she finally caught the hint, seeing it as a suggestion that she make her leave. Grabbing Umi's hand, Presea gently led her out of the room. After she got Umi safely away, she turned back and glanced at Lantis, "I hope you know what you're doing..."

Lantis nodded as if to say, 'Of course.'

Sighing again, Presea turned and left, closing the door behind her. Lantis looked back down at Clef and placed a shaking hand over his body. Exhaling slowly, he mentally stabled himself. As he began to focus his powers on the mage, he closed his eyes and whispered, "Forgive me, Clef."

He suddenly focused all his magic, aiming it directly at the poison circulating through Clef's veins and began to purge the poison from the man's system. At that moment, Clef's pained cry echoed through the entire castle.

~*~*~*~*~

Hours later, Lantis emerged from Clef's chambers, sweaty and tired. Presea, who had been standing nearby for the past half-hour while waiting for Lantis, ran to the swordsman and supported him.

"How is he?" Presea asked gently.

"He's fine," Lantis breathed. "Recovery will take a while, but... in the long run, he'll be fine."

Presea nodded and showed Lantis to a chair. Eagle approached from behind them, and Lantis looked up at Eagle, awaiting a report, "Did you find anything."

Eagle shook his head, "Nothing. I have placed guards at every end of the castle. If anything unusual happens, we will know immediately."

Lantis nodded and was about to say something more when he heard footsteps coming towards them quickly. He looked past Eagle to see Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu racing towards them. The three girls skidded past Presea and right into Clef's room.

Presea laughed lightly and gestured to the rushed ex-demon slayers, "They wouldn't sit still, they were so worried about Clef."

Eagle smiled, but Lantis stayed solemn. Presea went to the doorframe and watched as Hikaru and Umi hovered over Clef's sleeping form while Fuu looked back at Presea.

"Will he be alright?" Fuu inquired.

Presea nodded, "Yes."

Fuu smiled, "Good."

By Clef's bed, Umi was trying to control her tears. Presea approached behind her and assured her of Clef's recovery.

"Don't worry, Umi!" Hikaru said, feeling the overwhelming urge to give her friend a big, comforting hug. "He'll be fine, we just have to be patient."

After a while, Lantis entered and explained that Clef's road to recovery would be long, and they shouldn't disturb him. Although Clef was sleeping soundly and unlikely to wake for a few days, he not-so-subtly suggested they leave. After much protest, everyone left the room, and Clef was alone with only his dreams and the sound of his even breathing for company.

However, no one took notice to the small sparrow sitting on the window sill. Its cold black eyes glinted evilly and thin scars covered its small body. Ozumo, although he couldn't frown in the feathered form, inwardly glowered. He failed to kill the mage—Shimizu would be upset with him. However, with Clef temporarily out of action, it left the opportunity to attack Umi wide open. If Ozumo could smirk, he would—this time, when he attacked the girl, there would be no one there to save her.

~*~*~*~*~

Here's chapter 7! I'm sorry it's so short after you guys waited so long, but hey! Now you know Clef's gonna live, right? ANYWAYS, review responses are below:

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hyper-health-critic: No! He didn't dieee! . I, myself, would probably cry if I killed of Clef-kun!! *cough* Anyways, thank you so much for reviewing!

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inu87yasha: Merry (belated) Christmas to you, too! LOL Thanks for reviewing!

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Yun Fei: *brings out her shield to deflect flying food objects* Nope, I wouldn't let Clef die! I would cry... ;_; (And that rhymed... wow, I am sadly pathetic.)

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Kawaii Spinel Queen of Evil: Yay!! Your complement means a lot to me! ^^ Thank you~!

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Sab- Clef Lover: I haven't -forgotten- exactly... I'm just a lazy ass... Sorry for taking so long. Thanks for reviewing!

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hikaru_29: I honestly wasn't quite sure whether your review was a flame or not... It's rather hard to tell. Thank you for reviewing, though! About Ozumo's perseverance, it's kinda sorta meant to annoy people slightly. ^^;; Arigatou!

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shazzam: Here's your chapter! Sorry it took so long and is so short. ;-; Thanks you reviewing!

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Hyper-Citrus: LOL I think I might be back for good now... But I'm not making any promises, considering last time I said I was back I took a four month hiatus... Thank you for reviewing!

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CrazyIceTenshi: I'm glad you liked the part of Shimizu! It took a long time to write... I'll put some more Shimizu moments in the next chappie just for you! ^_~ Thank you for reviewing!

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Shy-Lil-Dreamer and **hyper*italian*gurl: **Yes, poor Clef. ;_; I hope you enjoyed the chapter (in all it's terrible shortness...). Thank you for reviewing!

Wow... review responses take up a lot of space... . Well, please **review** everyone!! Thank you for sticking with me for so long!

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~Yume no Kokoro

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Next chapter: Ozumo attacks Umi when she is alone. With Clef unable to save her, will Umi be rescued, or will Ozumo be rid of her once and for all?


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